Multi-year program to accelerate bringing new technologies from lab to market

May 16, 2016

“This innovation-focused partnership with Exelon allows both organizations to capitalize on the tremendous scope of opportunity that exists as we transition to a 21st-century grid.”
– Jay Walsh, vice president for research

EVANSTON, Ill. --- Northwestern University, its Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern (ISEN) and Exelon Corporation announced today the formation of a five-year strategic research partnership focused on clean energy innovation.

“We couldn’t be more excited about this important alliance,” said Michael R. Wasielewski, ISEN’s executive director. “Scaling basic discovery energy science for systems-level innovation is a tremendous bottleneck for academia and industry alike. Leading energy companies at the cutting-edge of the electric power grid, such as Exelon, are ideal partners for Northwestern and its entire research enterprise.”

The Northwestern-Exelon Master Research Agreement will provide for an initial five-year period of research around a robust project portfolio, including grid management and resilience, energy storage and renewable technologies.

“With the energy landscape evolving faster than ever, Exelon is building relationships with top research centers to create an ecosystem for advancing energy technology and ingenuity,” said Chris Crane, Exelon president and CEO. “This partnership brings together Exelon’s industry and market expertise with Northwestern’s deep research capabilities. It is an important step in our work to uncover and bring to life the very latest innovations that can benefit our company, our customers and the communities we serve.”

The partnership is designed to streamline the process for evaluating, testing and scaling scientific discoveries made in Northwestern labs for commercial use. Discoveries in research could have immediate and tangible implications on the way energy is produced, transmitted and consumed in the United States.

“Future sustainability and energy solutions lay at the intersection of science, policy and economics,” said Jay Walsh, vice president for research at Northwestern. “ISEN is ideally positioned to lead Northwestern’s interdisciplinary commitment to these global challenges. This innovation-focused partnership with Exelon allows both organizations to capitalize on the tremendous scope of opportunity that exists as we transition to a 21st-century grid.”

Northwestern has several active “master” agreements in areas of strategic importance for the University. The agreement with Exelon is the first with an electric power company.